Dell Technologies Inc. today announced the availability of NativeEdge, an operations platform it introduced in May with the aim of simplifying, securing and automating edge infrastructure and applications.

The market for edge computing, which Dell defines as “the practice of moving responsibility for data processing away from centralized data centers to clients and devices from the edge of the network,” is growing rapidly, with most forecasts expecting it to expand by 30% or more annually through the end of the decade.

Dell said NativeEdge can simplify orchestration and management across thousands of edge devices and locations with back-end connections to multiple clouds. It said its own analysis of 100 early deployments showed that customers were able to achieve up to 22 times faster lifecycle management by automating routine and repetitive tasks such as onboarding devices and managing applications.

The NativeEdge server includes technology Dell acquired with its purchase of Cloudify Ltd. early this year. The software can be deployed on three types of computing platforms: small, multiprotocol data collection devices, Dell OptiPlex desktop computers and Dell PowerEdge servers.

‘Consistent experience’

“We can provide a consistent experience whether it’s a PC or a native server,” said Gil Shneorson, senior vice president of edge solutions at Dell. “You usually have to make a tradeoff.”

The company is building a stable of independent software vendors, systems integrators, resellers and original equipment manufacturers to deliver products based on the platform.

“We intend to create a large catalog through a combination of working with specific partners and a certification program,” Shneorson said. “We will ensure that code and blueprints are built according to the right specifications.”

Dell’s Edge Partner Ecosystem lets ISVs test their applications and solutions at scale on Dell’s edge infrastructure, earn certifications and be listed on a partner website. The company highlighted three partners that will have complementary products available at launch.

Atos SE will sell a “business outcomes-as-a-service” offering that integrates machine learning models with the Dell Streaming Data Platform and PowerEdge servers for uses in retail, manufacturing and theme parks.

Bosch Global Software Technologies Pvt. Ltd. will offer DeviceBridge, an application for data acquisition and transformation from shop floor devices, and AIShield, a security package that safeguards artificial intelligence assets against adversarial threats and intellectual property theft.

Eaton Corp. will sell software from its Brightlayer power management suite that protects devices from events that can cause outages.

Other companies that are collaborating with Dell on NativeEdge services include Infront Systems Pty. Ltd., Involta LLC, Telit IoT Platforms LLC and World Wide Technology LLC.

“The edge market is very fragmented,” Shneorson said. “That’s why we embarked on this thing. There is clearly a need for security and simplification.”

Image: Dell